In the appetizer production industry there has been an explosion of new products, from simple roasted peanuts, going through potato chips. The differences among them have to do with many factors—the raw material starting from which such appetizers are made, the flavor that is added to them, the process of appetizer production, among other factors. For example, we have simple salted potato chips, which may differ according to the frying process. There are peanuts, which may be fried, roasted, only salted, or made with dry and ground chili powder.
With the development of food industry technology, new products have appeared. These products are obtained by means of extrusion of some dough of a different composition. This technology permits obtaining products of more homogeneous characteristics and of more varied conformation and dimensions. For example, we have the imitations of slices of potato chips, fried flours, and mixtures of flours and other raw materials, shaped as “churros” (fritters), more or less regular in their shape, and so forth. On the other hand, there are at present, basically, two products made from nixtamalized corn dough—“totopos” (corn tortillas) and the so-called “churritos” (small “churros” or small fritters). “Totopos” may be triangular or round in shape. Until now, there have been no modifications to these types of products made from nixtamalized corn dough.
To gain part of the market, a nixtamalized corn dough product different from those already known would be quite desirable. The modifications have consisted in adding new flavors by means of new mixtures of flavors. However, the product conformation has not been altered and this factor of generation of new products has not been developed. Conformation changes, although they mean a certain advantage due to the novelty effect on the public in general, and on children in particular, they also mean new technologies of conformation and manufacture are necessary to develop.
Besides, the product in itself, in spite of having novelty, does not mean it will have acceptance on the market, and important investments are required including research and development of new products and the processes to produce them. Furthermore, tasting panels provide a more precise idea of the acceptance of the new product on the market.